Our Revolution Cambridge endorsing seven for council, citing housing, developer views
For decades, the majority of the City Council, together with the city’s administration, has made increasing tax revenue from for-profit housing and commercial development their highest priority. Because the residents of Cambridge have not been the city’s top priority, little progress has been made on protections for renters, affordable housing, ending displacement, addressing the climate crisis, increasing diversity, ending opportunity and achievement gaps for our students, installing community broadband and keeping Cambridge a livable city. The winners of this process have been private developers. The losers have been low- and middle-income residents and their children.
Our Revolution Cambridge is therefore proud to endorse the following candidates (listed alphabetically) who share our values and have proven records of advocating for them:
Dennis Carlone, Charles Franklin, Patty Nolan, Ben Simon, Jovan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nicola Williams and Quinton Zondervan.
Because these candidates do not take contributions from developers, we are sure they will fight for the people of Cambridge and not for those who wish only to profit from the city.
Our group is broadly concerned with ending income and wealth inequality and reducing the influence of money in politics; fighting climate change; and creating just immigration, foreign and domestic social policy, including housing. Although councillors cannot have a major impact on many of these, they can influence housing policy significantly. Virtually everyone running for City Council claims to support “affordable housing.” But some accept contributions from developers and, not surprisingly, their solution to the housing crisis is to build for-profit, market-rate housing. They argue that by increasing the market-rate supply, prices will drop. There is substantial evidence, however, that market-rate housing development, even when “affordable units” are included, increases prices rather than lowers them, fueling mass displacement of low-income residents.
So what is the solution? Our Revolution Cambridge’s endorsed candidates propose building low- and middle-income social housing on public land and enacting strong tenant protections. Some of these require overturning or getting exemptions from state laws – all the more reason why we need a City Council willing to fight for us rather than for developers and who will never take developers’ dollars. If you believe as we do that the City Council should serve the people rather than developers, vote for our candidates – Carlone, Franklin, Nolan, Simon, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Williams and Zondervan – on Nov. 5.
Kathy Watkins, Fawcett Street
Louise Parker, Warwick Park
Unlike many of the political groups in Cambridge. I hope Our Revolution Cambridge holds those who win a seat or reelection to the principals they state above by refusing future endorsements. Including holding them accountable to their promises and commitments during the next term publicly.
Many, if not most of the political groups of Cambridge endorse the same candidates from Cycle to cycle. Ignoring previous promises or commitments. Political groups saturated with friends, family and die hard supporters of the candidates they endorse. A practice, in my opinion no different then the sycophants that support Trump.
Change cannot happen if the change political groups demand is simply words without meaning.
So what about housing for those who do not qualify for “low- and middle-income social housing” and are not able to afford the luxury units being built? The perfect donut hole case. You say building more housing it not the answer, so you only want to build housing for “low- and middle-income social housing”. Basically – if you have your act together, goto school, get a degree, get a good paying job, have a middle class life style – you are on your own. Then on top of that, you want to take away public land for the low income housing? That is socialism!!
Anything that makes the developer’s rich must be a bad thing, right? Anything that makes corporations money makes them greedy, right? Welcome to socialism!
Its true…you don’t make poor rich by making the rich poor.
“Basically- if you have your act together…”.
This comment above proves there are those in our community who still believe in the Welfare Queen argument. That residents, including myself, intentionally by choice, become elderly, poor or disabled living on fixed incomes. Many of us, equally as educated as the individual above. Also proving the need for elected officials, political organizations to not only fight for those with no voice but to take the time to get to know those of us who, live in public housing but still care about others and our community. Like myself, who have worked as a volunteer to make Cambridge better for all including the commentor above. A practice seriously lacking with our elected officials and those who seek political office. I.e., they only care or visit those of us in public housing during campaign season when they need something from us…our vote.